Blog Tour: Author Interview - The Pendulum Files

Title- The Pendulum Files

Series- Black Swamp Mysteries # 5 (Can be read out of order)

By- p.m. terrell

Genre-  Romantic Suspense

Publication Date- March 17th, 2014

Blurb-

Irishman and CIA operative Dylan Maguire joins psychic spy Vicki Boyd for another harrowing adventure, this time on the high seas. Merchant ships en route from China to the United States are being bombed, plunging America into critical shortages. It's Dylan's and Vicki's jobs to find out who is bombing them and why. Their mission takes them into Black Sites, covert activities and international politics. And while the romantic side of Dylan ramps up his relationship with Vicki, they find themselves in the crosshairs of a hired assassin, which not only places their lives in danger but also that of their unborn child.

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~~~ Author Interview ~~~

I was lucky enough to be able to interview p.m. terell. Here is the interview, I hope you enjoy learning more about her as I did!! Go to anywhere her books are sold and get one, it will be one of the best things you ever do.

1) Is this the last book with Dylan and the crew or is there more or even a branch off series. I really do love these characters.

Thank you! I really love them also, so there are no plans to discontinue the series. In fact, with four main characters of such diverse backgrounds—the psychic spy, the CIA operative, the computer hacker and the political strategist—there is an endless supply of plots that ensure that the series doesn’t become rehashed or boring.

2) Have you ever fallen in love with one of your characters, even just a little?

Oh my goodness, yes. I am a sucker for Irish men! I am definitely in love with Dylan Maguire of the Black Swamp Mysteries series and also Ryan O’Clery of The Tempest Murders (which has started a second series, by the way!) They are both very different and both totally captivating to me. My family knows if either of them showed up in the flesh, I’m history!

3) Tell us a secret about yourself, something new is always great!

A secret, huh? Just between you and me? I dream every scene I write. I learned this technique when I was writing the true story of my ancestor, Mary Neely, who had been captured by Shawnee warriors in 1780. I would go to bed asking her where they went and what she experienced, and I’d awaken some time during the night with such vivid scenes that I felt like I had really been there and experienced that. I continued doing this with my novels, and the results are: I LOVE going to sleep at night! And I never run out of things to write about.

4) Have you reached the goals for writing that you had in mind when you set out?

I have far surpassed them. I’ve been so fortunate to have been writing full-time for 12 years already—the time seems to have flown by. My original goal was simply to get published, and then to have maybe 2 or 3 books in print. This year, my 17^th and 18^th books will be released and books 19 and 20 are somewhere in the editing or production phase for release in 2015.

5) Did you have goals in life besides writing?

Yes; I wanted to make every day count. I believe that every day we’re on this earth we should amount to something. And I believe the best thing I can do is impact another person’s life in a positive way. That could be by helping other authors who have less experience in this industry, or rescuing animals, or volunteering in some capacity. When I die, I sure don’t want anybody saying I did nothing with my life.

6) You do wonderful things, can you tell us about Book Em North Carolina?

Thank you! I’m the founder of Book ‘Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair, an annual event that brings together more than 75 authors, publishers, movie producers and musicians/songwriters under one roof. Our goal is to raise money to increase literacy rates. It’s been shown that high rates of illiteracy go hand in hand with high crime rates, so by increasing literacy we’ll also reduce crime in our communities.

The event is free and open to the public, and we have panel discussions and solo talks going on all day. We also have a Children’s Corner for the youngest readers, and book signings all day for lovers of nearly all genres. For more information, visit www.bookemnc.org.

7) What is your absolute favorite part of being an author?

Going to bed with my leading men! Am I allowed to say that?

Seriously, I love creating something out of nothing. To be able to use my imagination to create something that others will read and enjoy; to have the characters stick with them and the plots make them think about the real life possibilities—that is magic.

8) Where do you get the inspiration for your books and/or characters?

I read everything I can get my hands on, and I love this age of technology and science. I will often read a news article or catch a story that intrigues me enough to research it for a plot. I also enjoy going through declassified CIA records, which is how I came up with the psychic spy in this series; Vicki Boyd is based on real psychic spies in the actual psychic spy programs used by our government.

I am also a people watcher, and I will mentally note characteristics that remain with me. But I have to admit, when I developed the character of Dylan Maguire, it was very important for the plot that Vicki fall in love with him—fast and hard. So I did a great deal of research on what women love: the accent (#1 is Scottish, #2 is Irish and #3 is Australian, by the way); the facial hair (apparently the five o’clock shadow is the most appealing to women); the body type (of course, tall and muscular!), etc. I also did research into the personality traits women love—a sense of humor, a romantic, but men that aren’t afraid to fight to protect the women they love.

9) If you could have one wish what would it be?

My one wish is when I die, someone somewhere will say that I made a difference.

 Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. I am a huge fan and cannot wait to see what you have planned next!!

Thank you! I am so happy that you enjoy my work. You made my day!

About the Author-

p.m.terrell is the internationally acclaimed, award-winning author of more than 18 books, including Vicki's Key, a 2012 International Book Awards and 2012 USA Best Book Awards finalist and River Passage, winner of the 2010 Best Drama Award. A full-time writer since 2002, p.m. previously founded and operated two computer companies with a specialty in computer crime and computer intelligence. Her clients included the CIA, United States Secret Service and the Department of Defense as well as local law enforcement agencies. Her expertise in computers and intelligence often finds its way into her books. She is also the co-founder of The Book 'Em Foundation and founder and chair of The Book 'Em North Carolina Writers  Conference and Book Fair, which raises money to increase literacy rates. As a hobby, she raises freshwater angelfish - the same thing her characters do as their front for the CIA. For more information about p.m.terrell, visit www.pmterrell.com and for more information on the upcoming Writers Conference, visit www.bookemnc.org.

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